Eigenberg to welcome Special Olympics athletes
Actor and Naperville native David Eigenberg will serve as the honorary coach at the 51st annual Opening Ceremony of Special Olympics Chicago Spring Games Thursday, May 2, at Soldier Field.
More than 5,000 athletes and coaches from the Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools and other agencies will march into iconic Soldier Field, the site of where the first Special Olympics games were held 51 years ago.
Eigenberg, whose TV credits include "Sex and the City" and "Chicago Fire," has been a longtime supporter of the athletes of the Special Olympics Chicago program and has been an annual participant in the Chicago Polar Plunge, the largest fundraiser of the year for the organization, since 2013.
Eigenberg will welcome athletes onto the field and mark the start of the Opening Ceremony with the official lighting of the Olympic torch.
The torch will be carried by Special Olympics athlete John Wrenn, who just returned from the World Games in Abu Dhabi, where he won a gold medal in the five-event Pentathlon. Wrenn will be joined by officers from the Chicago Police Department and Cook County Sheriff's Office.
The flame will be lit by representatives from El Valor, an adult day care program for people with intellectual disabilities.
El Valor also will be the recipient of The Keith Magnuson Spirit Award, which is given to a person or organization that has encouraged physical fitness, demonstrated courage, experienced joy and participated in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, community, and other Special Olympics athletes throughout the calendar year.
The Anne McGlone Burke Service Award will be awarded to Kevin Magnuson, former president and current board member of SCC/Special Olympics Chicago. Magnuson, the son of Chicago Blackhawks star Keith Magnuson, has been involved in the organization since his youth.
Entertainment will include The Happiness Club and The Jesse White Tumblers. The Parade of Athletes will begin at 9:45 a.m., and the opening ceremony is expected to conclude by 12:45 p.m.
Free parking is available at the Waldron Deck at Soldier Field for all attendees.
Athletes will compete in more than 25 track and field events throughout the Spring Games, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 6 at Eckersall Stadium, 2423 East 82nd St. in Chicago.